About My Blog Title

Hobbling to the elevator in 2011

When I was pregnant with my daughter in 2011, I traveled to California to visit my sister and her family. During my visit I fractured my right foot. I wound up wearing a boot, and had to use a cane to ease the weight on my foot as I walked. Then, shortly after, I received a diagnosis of gestational diabetes. This devastated me as good nutrition was and is highly important to me. What had I done wrong? It didn't matter that my age likely played a role, as well as a small familial history of diabetes. I felt like a failure. I could do little exercise, and my determination to remain positive for the sake of my unborn daughter was shaken.

Then, I started grad school via a low residency program at Hamline University in pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults (MFAC). Twenty nine weeks pregnant with a boot, a belly, and a cane. My mother traded cars with me as my belly and boot caused me not to fit well in the driver's seat of my own car. I now drove a mini van. At Hamline, it was a hot summer. Construction on campus caused the most direct route to buildings to be roundabout. My apartment, with the greatest roommate--thank goodness--happened to be the furthest from the elevator on the third floor.

2015 Hamline MFAC Grad

I learned to laugh at the situation, even when I wanted to cry. I had to laugh. I was on the path toward two of my greatest dreams--becoming a mom, and learning the craft of writing so that someday I will be a published author. Finding light when times felt cloudy was how I could continue moving forward.

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I attended Hamline only during the summers, followed by fall semesters. On July 19, 2015, I officially graduated with my MFA degree. Now, I am taking the steps to begin my agent search and publication submissions. In order to establish an online presence, I have returned to this blog I began in 2011.

A Boot, a Belly, and a Cane. A bizarre combination. A memorable combination. A name that continues to make me smile. So, I have chosen to keep it.

Happy reading! (More About Me - Current Page)

Today and tomorrow, 

~Tamara (pronounced like "tomorrow" with a southern accent.)